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August 09, 2011 04:08 AM CDTAugust 09, 2011 04:31 AM CDTCranking it up on the first day of practice

Cranking it up on the first day of practice

Football teams sweat the safety details to beat scorching temperatures

From Staff Reports

Published: 09 August 2011 04:08 AM

Updated: 09 August 2011 04:31 AM

At 5:30 a.m. Monday, a long line of players waited to enter the field house at DeSoto for the first practice, which was scheduled to begin at 6. The temperature reached 105 degrees on the first day of workouts for Class 5A and 4A teams that had spring practice, but DeSoto started early so it could still hold two-a-days but be done by 1 p.m.

“We’ve done it this way the last two years,” coach Claude Mathis said. “It’s to beat the heat.”

The forecast calls for a high of 105 or hotter every day this week, so Arlington Bowie went harder than usual in the opening session of Monday’s two-a-day practices — while the temperature was still in the 80s.

Also, Bowie will practice only once Wednesday, Friday and Saturday instead of having two-a-days.

In Allen, coach Tom Westerberg’s players left the cool confines of the school’s indoor facility at 4 p.m. to start practice. As in years past, the team might spend some time inside the athletic complex, but most of the drills and conditioning were planned for outdoors. The games are played outside, so that’s where Allen wants to practice.

— Greg Riddle, Matt Wixon

Southlake Carroll

Southlake Carroll coach Hal Wasson was quick to point out one of the reasons Carroll is such a powerhouse. “Competition breeds success,” he said.

If that’s the case, then Carroll should have a great deal of success with its running game. There looks to be a good battle brewing for the starting job, between senior Zach Thomason and sophomore A.J. Ezzard.

Thomason got banged up in the spring, and — as Wasson put it — Ezzard saw “a crack in the door.” Ezzard had a great spring practice and game, and he got carries with the first team in Carroll’s second practice.

— Corbett Smith

Arlington Bowie

Arlington Bowie went 7-4 and lost in the first round of the playoffs last season. But coach Kenny Perry thinks his team can contend for a state championship.

Bowie quarterback Kolby Listenbee has committed to TCU, and running back Russell Hansbrough has committed to Arizona State. Defensive linemen Jessie Rogers and Demonte Hood both have offers from schools in the Big 12, SEC and Pac-12.

— Greg Riddle

Cedar Hill

Cedar Hill has its new starting quarterback. But he won’t be the only one.

Senior Andre Anderson will be the starter, coach Joey McGuire said, but junior Damion Hobbs will also get playing time. Anderson (5-11, 191) was Cedar Hill’s second-leading receiver last season, and Hobbs (6-2, 190) started for the junior varsity team that finished 8-2.

“We’re going to play both of them at quarterback and both of them at receiver,” McGuire said. “They’re too good as athletes to not have them out there.”

The last three years, Cedar Hill counted on Driphus Jackson at quarterback. He signed with Rice, along with leading receiver Lovett Gibson.

— Matt Wixon

Euless Trinity

Last season, when Euless Trinity needed a big play offensively, coach Steve Lineweaver, almost invariably looked to one player, WR/DB/QB Brandon Carter. Carter — who spurned Oklahoma’s advances to sign with TCU — was one of the state’s most explosive playmakers, able to turn a broken play into yardage with enough jukes and jives that it looked as though it was dreamed up on a PlayStation 3.

“Forty-three years, never had one like him,” Lineweaver said. “I mean, it was ridiculous the stuff he could do.”

Carter rushed for 1,239 yards and 14 scores, averaging 11.6 yards per carry. He was also the team’s leading passer (738 yards, six TDs) and receiver (394 yards, four TDs).

So, how does Lineweaver begin to replace someone so valuable?

“We are going to have to hit those passes on rollouts, and we aren’t going to be able to dial up the reverse pass when we need to,” Lineweaver said. “That became a staple for us last year.”

Lahi Kautai, a senior who began last season in the starting QB role, will have the reins of the offense this year. Kautai — who threw for 666 yards on 55 percent passing, with four scores and four interceptions — looked good Monday morning, connecting with accuracy in passing drills and rollouts.

— Corbett Smith

Plano

Plano’s fall practice opened without many starting spots up for grabs, and that includes the quarterback spot, which Richard Lagow claimed in the spring. Lagow attempted only two passes last season, but the 6-5, 200-pound junior is already attracting attention from college recruiters.

Coach Jaydon McCullough is happy that he’s determined the replacement for two-year starter Connor Michelsen. Two years ago, fall practice began with Michelsen and Murat Kuzu battling for the job, and they split time at the position early in the season. “I don’t ever want to go through that again,” McCullough said.

— Matt Wixon

Skyline

Last year, Skyline had five sophomores play significant roles on offense. As one would expect, the inexperience led to growing pains. Skyline started the season 0-2, scoring three points in those games.

“It’s just like anything else after you’ve had a year experience and you’ve had some ups and downs,” coach Reginald Samples said. “It makes you better.”

Skyline went on to win its next nine games before losing in the second round of the playoffs to DeSoto. DeVante Kincade, a junior, is back as quarterback. Two of his top wide receivers return in Rashard Samples and Thomas Johnson (committed to Texas), who missed part of last year because of injury.

With a state title in 2008 and five straight seasons with at least 10 wins, expectations are always high for Allen. But those expectations, at least those of fans and the media, might be even higher this season.

That’s because Allen, which normally doesn’t return many starters because its senior classes are so large and talented, has 14 back this season. That’s from a team that finished 10-2 last year and nearly derailed Euless Trinity’s return to the state title game.

“The expectations aren’t any higher for the kids,” coach Tom Westerberg said before the first practice, “but the target that’s on their back may be bigger.”

— Matt Wixon

Highland Park

Going into 2010, Brady Burgin, Dalton Stogner and William Morris had combined for 107 offensive varsity yards. By the end of it, they were among the offense’s leaders.

Burgin threw for 1,982 yards and 16 touchdowns. Stogner and Morris combined for 1,973 receiving yards. As afternoon practice began in Highland Park’s indoor facility, the three seniors were taking part in rapid-fire offensive drills.

Coach Randy Allen knows his offense, with “61/2” starters returning, can be good. It has offensive line depth. And it has Burgin, Stogner and Morris. “The years we’ve had experience returning at those positions,” Allen said, “we’re pretty good.”

— Mark Dent

DeSoto

Raheem Wilson led DeSoto to the Fox Sports Southwest 7-on-7 state title this summer, but coach Claude Mathis said Wilson will battle Dezmond White for the starting quarterback job.

“It’s a very open competition,” said Mathis, whose team lost 4,000-yard passer Ryan Polite.

— Greg Riddle

Arlington Martin

Arlington Martin lost running back Danzel Williams, who ran for 1,659 yards and 30 touchdowns last season before moving on to the University of Oklahoma. But Martin coach Bob Wager is looking for big things from junior Kyle Hicks, who will play running back after being the District 4-5A defensive newcomer of the year last season as a defensive back.

Hicks played running back as a freshman before moving to the secondary. Another player Martin will use at running back is Cameron Williams, Danzel Williams’ little brother.

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